Optimists Announce Local Oratorical, Essay Contests
With Optimist Day recognized on Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Wolf Point Optimist Club is taking the opportunity to announce that the club will conduct the Optimist Oratorical Contest in the area.
Optimist Club members Carol Neutgens and Gloria Sande said the contest gives students, under the age of 19, the opportunity to earn generous amounts of scholarship funds.
Club president AJ Olson said deadline for the club contest is March 25. Up to $22,500 can be earned by students. Topic is “Discover the Optimism With Me.”
Winners at the club level receive medallions while zone winners earn a plaque. Districts have the opportunity to provide a firstplace scholarship of $2,500, a second- place scholarship of $1,500 and a third-place scholarship of $1,000.
District competition winners will qualify for the world championships, which start with regional contests. Regional winners receive $5,000 and qualify for the championship round. First place earns $15,000, second place receives $10,000 and third place gets $5,000.
An oration is an original work, written by the contestant, with a limited quoted or paraphrased. The presentation should interprets the official topic through the use of examples, statistics, facts, anecdotes, logic and emotion. The presentation can have elements of both information and persuasion to make its point.
A new topic is announced for the competition each year, and students write an original speech to express their views of the topic’s meaning.
In addition, an essay contest is being conducted by the Wolf Point club for two scholarships. Each of the two winners will receive $300. Entry deadline is Feb. 28.
Topic for the essay is “Who is an everyday hero that brings out the optimism in you.”
Contact any Wolf Point Optimist Club member for more information about the contests. Officers are AJ Allen as president, Gloria Sande as secretary/treasurer, and vice presidents Helen Welte and Pat Stennes. Neutgens serves as the lieutenant governor for Zone 9.
